Rate for Assessment on Direct Payment of Fees to Representatives in 2020

Citation84 FR 67987
Record Number2019-26752
Published date12 December 2019
SectionNotices
CourtSocial Security Administration
Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 239 (Thursday, December 12, 2019)
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 239 (Thursday, December 12, 2019)]
                [Notices]
                [Pages 67987-67988]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2019-26752]
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                SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
                [Docket No. SSA-2019-0047]
                Rate for Assessment on Direct Payment of Fees to Representatives
                in 2020
                AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).
                ACTION: Notice.
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                SUMMARY: We are announcing that the assessment percentage rate under
                the
                [[Page 67988]]
                Social Security Act (Act) is 6.3 percent for 2020.
                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey C. Blair, Associate General
                Counsel for Program Law, Office of the General Counsel, Social Security
                Administration, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235-6401.
                Phone: (410) 965-3157, email [email protected].
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A claimant may appoint a qualified
                individual as a representative to act on his or her behalf in matters
                before the Social Security Administration (SSA). If the claimant is
                entitled to past-due benefits and was represented either by an attorney
                or by a non-attorney representative who has met certain prerequisites,
                we withhold up to 25 percent of the past-due benefits and use that
                money to pay the representative's approved fee directly to the
                representative.
                 When we pay the representative's fee directly to the
                representative, we must collect from that fee payment an assessment to
                recover the costs we incur in determining and paying representatives'
                fees. The Act provides that the assessment we collect will be the
                lesser of two amounts: A specified dollar limit; or the amount
                determined by multiplying the fee we are paying by the assessment
                percentage rate.\1\
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                 \1\ 42 U.S.C. 406(d), 406(e), and 1383(d)(2).
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                 The Act initially set the dollar limit at $75 in 2004 and provides
                that the limit will be adjusted annually based on changes in the cost-
                of-living.\2\ The maximum dollar limit for the assessment currently is
                $97, as we announced in the Federal Register on October 22, 2019 (84 FR
                56515).
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                 \2\ 42 U.S.C. 406(d)(2) and 1383(d)(2)(C)(ii)(I).
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                 The Act requires us each year to set the assessment percentage rate
                at the lesser of 6.3 percent or the percentage rate necessary to
                achieve full recovery of the costs we incur to determine and pay
                representatives' fees.\3\
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                 \3\ 42 U.S.C. 406(d)(2)(B)(ii) and 1383(d)(2)(C)(ii)(II).
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                 Based on the best available data, we have determined that the
                current rate of 6.3 percent will continue for 2020. We will continue to
                review our costs for these services on a yearly basis.
                Michelle King,
                 Deputy Commissioner for Budget, Finance, and Management.
                [FR Doc. 2019-26752 Filed 12-11-19; 8:45 am]
                 BILLING CODE 4191-02-P
                

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